Combination lighting fixture and curtain holder



Dec. 8, 1953 w. J. MoLLNr-:R- 2,652,163

COMBINATION LGHTING FIXTURE AND CURTAIN HOLDER 2 Sleets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 10, 1950 Dec. 8, 1953 w. J. MOLLNER 2,662,163

COMBINATION LIGHTING FIXTURE ANO CURTAIN HOLDER Filed Aug. l0, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lv' n MR 1.16. ff f /7 nventor Patented Dec. 8, 195.3

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ooiymlNATroN LGHTING FIXTURE AND i v B999F59 William J. Mppner, ittsbcrgh, Pa.

Arrliiipn entre? l0 1959 Serial` 4 Claims. l This invention is for a lighting gture, and esciauy Lighting xtre'intended' 'to provide in'addtion a snp-'"otffr'bfurtains an'd/or drapes. Irt'feiiior"''decorato:rsV aef'ot infrequently bfo'tlif ere by the 'fact theatre source and quanty of light in a room at `1igl`lt is quite different from that 4in the day time. 'Whereas the li'glitdurine the day is qb'tained r ipauy from windows, the light at night'fis 'btV d'from xtures'orlam'ps' `51Cltltered""about the "Thisoften interferes `with the mostY H ,Qcti'nterr decoration"Eie-` caise a compromise must be made 'tosu'it both conditions lof illumination. Moreover the loca-'- .tiorf of vflirxrri-tnre befvery largely determined by ,the location of the ,Windows on the 'one hand anl'the -liglrting'tlirs and'l'amps on the other; In addition .to this,.iliga-ris' or drapes which may b e flly yisible bftl'i outside and inside theh'ou'se during the day Iriay'abpear somewhat drab or unattractive when'yiejved at ni'ghtagain'st or with conventional lamps' or lighting xturs. Additionally the location of lamps and lighting xtures remote from the Windows 'ften, if not generally, silhouettes the occupants of the room between the windrow and the light'source; causing ithe occupants of the room to he plainly Visible to passersby at Vknight if the room be vclose tothe `iii/ alkat street level. A

The principal object of the present invention is rto provide the interior decorator or householder With a lighting xtnre that will eliminate or minimize Vmany of the foregoing diculties and prof .vide a new and attractive illumination for rooms and drapes and reduce or eliminate to consider vable extent the need for chandeliers, wall -brackfets, and Various ooror other lamps. -The invention further provides 6.a ,ixtufe which ,enables flirniture to lbe so positioned that an ,arrangement iwhich is satisfactory for daylight is also ,satirsf factory Afor `artlial illumination, and there is Ano need atnight for example, lfor a readinglchair to he moved `from `a `point near lthe Window to a point .near a lamp or lighting fixture. N'Ilvl'e'sl21.1161 various objects Aand advantages are .O kita'in'ecl'by A inyerition, if, illuminationeifects.

According to mynventon there isprovided t a slipporting frame or .panel Qwhch s Yfl)iiabl'jr adjustable toYA fariols 4Airclow sizes`` ahf'l' which "".l ti is e eerspctire View 0f the .fixture in the "pgsirinmiv is adapted t@ be placed einer:

l Tiel? rnii'firef te@ xture there sertie-r1 ir the Plane ,Qf 1.116@

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' Qeterring to the drawin erabl'yfc i" 2 arid re tgfrnsd rid 3a. NAt

@ridfierce?tirarmi-lh mme fem 'the aeeai plane of the window frame while the front panels 2a and 3a of the telescoping sections extend across the top of the window frame, much the same as an ordinary flat curtain rod, although the parts 2a and 3a are much wider from the lower edge to the top edge than the conventional flat curtain rod. This width, while not critical, should be of the general order of three inches or somewhat more, in order to provide a screen or shield behind which the fluorescent tube lamp hereinafter described is located. It should be substantially wider than the diameter of the tubular light source.

Each of the wings 4 and 5 is provided with an aligned hole 8 to receive the ends of a curtain rod 9. In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated these holes 8 as being also in the form of so-called key hole openings with the larger portion ofeach opening at the top. With this arrangement the ball or other large terminal on a curtain rod may be passed through the opening, and then the curtain rod lowered, and be thereby restrained against endwise movement.

The inwardly-turned flanges 2b and 2c not only provide sliding contact surfaces for the telescoping sections, but they also provide slidable trackways for lamp terminal brackets designated generally as IEJ. These brackets as shown in the drawings, have a vertical strip I I, the ends of which are slidably received in the channels formed by the overturned edges 2b and 2c and 3b and 3c. A set screw I2, which may be of any suitable kind, and which is here shown as being provided with a screw slot for engagement by a screw driver, is threaded through this strip, and by tightening up on the screw, the strip may be frictionally retained from sliding endwise in the fixture. Each of the strips II has a rearwardlyextending horizontal arm I3 which in turn supports a conventional lamp socket I4 for receiving a conventional iiuorescent tube which usually has two contact prongs at each of its ends.

As shown in Fig. 5, the terminals are formed as insulating bodies I4 and have the usual arrangement of slots I5 for the reception of the terminal pins on a uorescent tube. In the drawings I have not shown the iiexible cords through which current is supplied to the contacts within the terminals I4, as this wiring may be conventional, and forms no part of the invention, and is well known to those vskilled in the art. Where the fluorescent tube is of the type requiring a starting control, the conventional starting control box may be located at any convenient place either in the curtain fixture or on the slot adjacent the window where the curtain fixture is 1ocated. The wires can usually extend up along the window frame and are concealed by the curtains or drapes, or are at most only very inconspicuous. By having the fluorescent tube sockets movable longitudinally along the fixture, luminous tubes of any selected length can be used and standard length tubes can at all times be accepted and be brought to a centered position on the fixture.

It is desirable to provide for adjusting the length of the bracket in order to avoid making the fixtures in an infinite range of sizes, and it is also desirable to so support the fluorescent tubes that they can be always centered in the fixture midway between the ends, and so that long or short fluorescent tubes may be used as the decorator or householder may choose.

The arms I3 on the brackets for supporting' the lighting fixtures are of such length that the fluorescent tube, designated I6 in the drawings, will be relatively close to the inner face of the panels 2a-3a, and will be about midway between the top and bottom edges thereof. By reason of this and the greater width of the panel, the tube is concealed from direct vision, except when one is practically under the lighting fixture, and the tube is high enough so that when the fixture is properly placed on a window frame, the tube is not ordinarily seen by one passing along outside the house, unless again the passer-by should be almost under the window.

In order to give a desired color and quality to the light, there is provided a second pair of slidably adjustable brackets I'I which, however, do not need to be provided with set screws, as friction may be relied upon to hold them in place. These brackets I'I have a rearwardly-extending curved supporting arm I8. One of the brackets is located near each end of the fixture. It serves to support a concaved member I9 which may be either a transparent colored screen or a translucent colored screen, or which may be frosted or of milk-like translucency, or which may be partly or wholly silvered to provide either a reflector or a partial reflector.

The member I9, depending on its character and quality, may be formed of plastic, glass or metal. Relatively thin sheet plastic material is preferably used as it is inexpensive and can be easily cut to any desired length with a pair of scissors.

As viewed in Fig. 4.-, the member I9 might for example be silvered in the part spanned by the bracket marked with A, and a similar strip along the opposite edge might also be silvered, while the intervening area could be colored or frosted.

In use, the fixture is placed at the top of the window frame the same as a conventional curtain rod or cornice, care being taken to place it high enough so that the luminous tube light will not be below the lower edge of the top of the window frame. Curtains may be placed on the curtain rod in the usual way, and hung in front of the window. The luminous tube lamp is placed in position after the terminal contact members have been properly adjusted, and a colored screen or reflector member I5 selected to suit the taste of the home owner or interior decorator is placed on the supports I9. Drapes may be hung directly on the cross bar of the fixture by the use of con- 'ventional hooks or in any other accepted fashion.

When the device is in use, brilliant illumination of course is provided by the uorescent tube. The fixture being close to the ceiling, much of the light is reected to the ceiling and diffused through the room. Other light is directed down against the curtains, and of course is reflected by the curtains into the room, and is otherwise diffused into the room. Very satisfactory diffusion of light is obtained, and the location of the illumination is much the same as that which enters the room from natural daylight. Therefore whether it is daylight or whether artificial light is being used, the curtains are illuminated and the light diffuses through the room from the same general direction and the furniture set appropriately for daylight is likewise appropriately placed for the artificial illumination. Floor lamps can be to a large measure eliminated, which makes iioor space available for other furniture, a feature which is quite desirable in small rooms, and chandeliers and lighting fixtures can likewise be eliminated. While, for decorative purposes only, table or floor lamps may con-'- tinue to be provided, the actual need for them is substantially reduced.

The fixture at the same time enables fiuorescent lighting to be used in rooms where usual fluorescent types of lighting fixtures would appear out of place, or appear to be in bad taste. At the same time, while giving diffused illu-mination and all of the foregoing advantages, the lixture is relatively inexpensive and can be installed at a cost much less than that required for builtin or suspended types of fluorescent tube lighting.

Instead of accentuating the light source as do most sources of artificial illumination, one sees curtains and/or drapes as usual, with a diffused light at the windows when the room is artificially lighted using my fixtures, and attention is focused, as it should be, on drapes, curtains and the contents of the room.

It will also be seen that because the light is diffused down across the curtain, the outsider sees the curtains illuminated in much the way that a person in the room sees them, but the persons in the room are not silhouetted between the light source and the window, as is the case with present conventional indoor lighting.

The advantage of using telescoping sections in assembling the fixture is of course to enable a ready-made standard fixture to be adapted to a range of window sizes, but the fixtures can be otherwise formed in fixed sizes, or be custommade.

While I have illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein, and that specific elements may be otherwise constructed within the contemplation of my invention and under the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A curtain fixture having a panel portion formed of two sections each having its top and bottom edges rolled over to form channel portions along the inner face thereof, said sections being telescopically fitted together, each section having a bracket portion at its end by means of which it may be supported on a window frame, and a light-supporting terminal on the inner face of each section, said terminal having a base portion which is engaged in the channel portions of the section on which it is mounted, and means for adjustably clamping said terminals in position.

2. A curtain fixture having a panel portion formed of two sections each having its top and bottom edges rolled over to form channel portions along the inner face thereof, said sections being telescopically fitted together, each section having a bracket portion at its end by means of which it may be supported on a window frame, and a light-supporting terminal on the inner face of each section, said terminal having a base portion which is engaged in the channel portions of the sections on which it is mounted, means for adjustably clamping said terminals in position, and a bracket element at the rear face of each panel for supporting a light-modifying screen in position below a tubular lamp when a tubular lamp is engaged in said terminals.

3. A curtain fixture for windows comprising a length adjustable front panel formed in two sections with a window frame attaching bracket at the end of each section, said panel sections being telescopically united by interlocking channel flanges positioned at the top and bottom on the back of each section, tubular lighting element terminals mounted behind said panels in said panel iianges, a lighting element mounted in said terminals, brackets for supporting a light-modifying screen mounted behind said panels and adjustably secured in the panel flanges, and rearwardly-extending arms on the screen brackets positioned below the lighting element to support the modifying screen, said panels, terminals and screen supporting brackets being adjustable longitudinally of the panels to position the lighting tube and screen for windows of different lengths.

4. The curtain fixture defined in claim 3 in which a curtain rod is mounted between the window frame brackets in a position parallel to and behind the panel and between the lamp and the window frame.

W'ILLIAM J. MOLLNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,946,866 Machold Feb. 13, 1934 2,004,262 Widman June 11, 1935 2,250,276 Rutherford et al. July 22, 1941 2,336,416 Parker Dec. 7, 1943 2,528,132 Gibson et al Oct. 31, 1950 2,532,023 Guth Nov. 28, 1950 Y2,544,359 Schmidt 1.-., Mar, 6, 1951 

